Michael Duffy: hat-trick hero.
UCD 1 Derry City 6
Michael Duffy celebrated his last day as a teenager with a hat-trick as Derry City got back to winning ways following their exit from the Europa League with a comprehensive 6-1 win over UCD Bowl in Dublin this evening.
Duffy, who celebrates his 20th birthday tomorrow, opened the scoring midway through the first half and he completed his hat-trick with two goals in two minutes early in the second period to obliterate City’s nightmare 5-1 drubbing by Shakhtar Soligorsk in Belarus on Thursday.
The 19-year-old struck in the 20th minute when he calmly slotted past Connor O’Donnell after being set up by Mark Timlin.
Rory Patterson, the league’s top goalscorer last season, doubled the advantage three minutes before the break when he took advantage of a slip my Gareth Matthews to score past O’Donnell.
Duffy got his second, and Derry’s third, five minutes after the restart when he slid the ball into the bottom of the net after good work by Nathan Boyle.
He got his third two minutes later when he fired past O’Donnell to end an excellent move involving Boyle and Joshua Tracey.
Rory Patterson: on scoresheet again.
The Students pulled a goal back when the normally reliable Gerard Doherty spilled a long range Robbie Benson into the net.
O’Donnell pulled off a great save from a Patterson 20 yard effort in the 74th minute.
Barry Molloy celebrated his testimonial year at the Brandywell with a stunning strike in the dying minutes to end a three-man move that also involved Barry McNamee and Stephen Dooley.
Patterson got his second, and Derry’s sixth, deep into injury time.
UCD: Conor O’Donnell, Gareth Matthews, Mark Langtry (Daniel Tobin 70), James Kavanagh, Sean Coyne, Chris Mulhall (Samir Belhout 38), Timmy Molloy, Colm Crowe, Robbie Benson, Ayman Ben Mohamed (Gary Burke 77), Conor Cannon.
Unused substitutes: Gregory Sloggett, Kaleem Simon, Adam Harney, Niall Corbet.
Derry City: Gerard Doherty, Barry Molloy, Ryan McBride, Aaron Barry, Danny Ventre (Barry McNamee 57), Joshua Tracey, Mark Timlin, Philip Lowry, Michael Duffy (Stephen Dooley 78), Nathan Boyle (Patrick McEleney 59), Rory Patterson.
Unused substitutes: Ciaran Gallagher, Tony McNamee, Sean Houston, Ryan Curran.
Referee: Paul McLaughlin.
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